076 Diary (3)

A crackling sound resonated—it was the sound of Blackwood’s flesh and blood. It was as if a furnace burned endlessly within its body, sending out waves of scorching heat. In the next instant, Blackwood began to tremble violently. Its frame swelled at an alarming rate, growing taller and broader, until it nearly reached the ceiling, expanding from its original height of just over half a meter to more than four meters tall.

But in the blink of an eye, its body began to contract. Muscles knotted and bulged like twisted steel bars, as if cast in iron. The blackness was the tough fascia encasing its muscles; the red, Blackwood’s boiling blood. From nearly five meters tall, it compressed back down to three.

Xu Nan suddenly realized that Blackwood’s evolution differed from Whitewood’s. Its ossified sacs and eyes had hardly changed—instead, all its evolution points had been poured into its musculature! Its wings now bore an unmistakable heaviness, like layers of armor draped across them. Its talons, iron-hard, stood planted on the ground like steel pillars. The muscles on its back expanded to the sides, revealing the spine at the center, from which a jagged, serrated bone spur gradually emerged.

Blackwood’s head transformed as its sharp beak morphed, becoming a mask-like piece of armor. When its mouth closed, it formed a massive cone, resembling the beaked masks of plague doctors Xu Nan had once seen in old illustrations.

Huff… huff… huff…

Two great vents on the “mask” drew and expelled air, producing a sound like a truck engine starting. Xu Nan glanced at Blackwood’s rippling muscles and nodded in satisfaction. Every evolution point had been well spent.

The second rune’s description had changed. Blackwood’s base abilities were the same, but two new passive traits had appeared below:

[Colossal Strength: The Azure-Eyed Vulture has rapidly advanced in physical prowess, its body reaching an absurd level of might. It possesses strength far surpassing other raptors, ferocious and brutal.]
[Iron Bastion: The Azure-Eyed Vulture’s muscle layers are exceptionally thick, granting it outstanding resistance to blows. It is an excellent living shield—even being struck by a car would do it little harm.]
[Ability—Hammering Beak Strike: The Azure-Eyed Vulture’s skull has undergone extreme mutation, its bone layers dense and sturdy, its beak now cone-shaped. Its powerful muscles and spine can drive its beak like a sledgehammer, smashing foes as if nailing them into the earth.]

“A violent-type juggernaut?” Xu Nan mused. He recalled that Blackwood possessed an extra berserk ability compared to Whitewood—one that, when activated, made it even tougher and stronger!

Moreover, he found that Blackwood had not yet reached its structural limit; he could still allocate more evolution points if he wished.

Xu Nan then glanced at Whitewood’s description:

[Dead-Eye Vulture: One-ring Limit]
[Further evolution: Unavailable, Success rate: 0]
[Fusion: Unavailable, Success rate: 0]
[Extraordinary Abilities: Detonation, Dead-Eye]

He raised his right hand. In an instant, the panting Blackwood transformed into a rune and returned to his secret ring.

A quick whirl spun the rune to the side.

Half an hour later, inside the cave, Xu Nan looked up at the light shining through the opening above, lost in thought.

“Should I leave now, or continue exploring?” he wondered.

Leaving now would avoid unnecessary risks. After all, he had already gained more than enough; his spoils ran over.

But continuing onward meant facing danger, yet also presented the chance to earn more evolution points—and perhaps even ancient relics.

Xu Nan glanced down at the runes on his hands, clenched his fists, and strode briskly into the darkness.

When powerless, retreat was a rational, strategic withdrawal—a mark of wisdom. But to turn back now, when he possessed strength, would be cowardice, a lack of courage!

He had just obtained two powerful subordinates through evolution—surely, he couldn’t shrink from a further challenge?

If he retreated now, he would despise himself.

***************

Thunderous rumbles echoed through the pitch-black passage, reverberating like rolling thunder with no end in sight.

Two massive figures clashed in the darkness. A three-meter-tall bone statue stomped madly across the ground, leaving deep footprints as it charged like a tank. Its fists, like cannonballs, shot forward.

Yet Blackwood, taking the blow head-on, did not retreat a single step—its vast body merely shuddered.

With a roar, Blackwood’s muscles engorged and swelled, its eyes turning a fierce crimson.

Bang! One iron claw seized the bone statue’s head, swinging it into the wall like a meteor hammer.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!—the impacts rang out, merging into a single cacophony that echoed through the corridor.

Blackwood, in a frenzy, unleashed its colossal strength, relentlessly smashing the bone statue against the stone walls. The black surface layers of rock peeled away, revealing the hard, gleaming white bone beneath. As the statue was battered, the embossed circuits covering its body lit up one by one.

Suddenly, its right hand morphed into a spear, driving backward with vicious force, aiming straight for Blackwood’s chest.

It moved with astonishing speed, leaving a blur in its wake.

Blackwood roared, the jagged bone spurs along its spine flaring red. Its entire spine bent like a great bow, then snapped forward with explosive momentum.

With a thunderous crash, its head slammed forward, the conical beak slicing through the air and sending out shockwaves.

Ding! The spear struck Blackwood’s chest!

Crack! The beak crashed down on the bone statue’s skull!

Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump—the beak drove downward, pulverizing the statue’s head like a pile driver, shattering its neck in a blur of motion.

The circuits covering the statue dimmed rapidly, and the spear that had lunged forward fell limp, its strength gone.

With a clatter, it dropped to the ground.

Xu Nan stepped out from behind Blackwood and examined the wound on its chest. With a gesture, he recalled Blackwood into his ring.

[You have gained evolution points: 6]

With one foot upon the fallen statue’s leg, Xu Nan strode forward, stopping before a white door.

Carved across the surface were intricate black engravings, with a circular ring at the center. Chains radiated outward from the ring, spreading across the door like veins.

Xu Nan hesitated, then reached out to touch it.

With a soft clatter, the black door swung open of its own accord.

After a moment’s pause, Xu Nan stepped inside.

As his foot touched the threshold, the entire chamber was suddenly flooded with light. Black wall sconces lining the walls flickered to life, their flames casting a warm glow over the room.

Xu Nan took a quick, sweeping glance. It appeared to be a small library, or perhaps a private study.

To the left, a large space was filled with neatly arranged black bookshelves, each labeled with a brass plate. On the right were some simple laboratory instruments and a few pieces of furniture for resting. A purple writing desk caught Xu Nan’s eye, upon which lay several books, writing implements, and an open diary…